Art of shoemaking



Feb. 25, 1941. F.' ROSENBAUM 2,232,804

, ART OF SHOEMAKING Filed Jan. 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

Feb. 25, 1941. F. s -UM 2,232,804

ART OF SHOEMAKING Filed Jan; 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u Q Q u Q ailII/////////iii lumlmmmlll Patented 25, 1941 PATENT OFFICE ART OFSHOEMAKING Felix Rosenbaum, Leominster, Mass, assignor to United ShoeMachinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation ofNew Jersey Application January 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,876

14 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of shoemaking and particularly tomethods and apparatus for use in the manufacture of wedge heel shoes.

By the term wedge heel shoe" is meant a shoe in which a wedge-shapedheel is located between t the outsole and the shoe, the wedge heelextending from the ball line to the heel end of the shoe, being fiat onits lower surface and having its upper surface contoured to fitsubstantially 0 the shank-and-heel portion of the bottom of a lastedshoe. The wedge heel may be made of wood, cork or other light materialand is often covered on its exposed surface with upper leather or othermaterial similar to or'contrasting with the shoe upper.

Although many shoes of this type are being made in which a wedge heel isattached by cement both to the shoe and the sole, difficulty has beenexperienced in attempting to secure 29 the wedge heel to the shoe and tothe sole at the I same time by cement because the sole-attachingpressure tends, to 'force the wedge heel rearwardly and hence it isdifficult to secure the proper relative relations between the shoe, thewedge heel and the sole. While this dlfllcuity may be obviated bycementing the wedge heel to the shoe before the sole is applied to theshoe or to the sole before the sole is applied to the shoe, suchprocedures involve additional operations 30 which are expensive andtime-consuming.

Objects of this invention are to expedite the manufacture of wedge heelshoes and to reduce the cost of their manufacture. To this end, theinvention, as illustrated, comprises a novel hotsurface of which theshank-and-heel portion of a full-length sole is attached by drivenfastenings inserted through the sole into the heel.

In another aspect the invention comprises a method of making the bottomunit which consists in assembling a full-length sole and a wedge heelwith the flat face of the he l in contact with the shank-and-heelportion of the flesh face of the sole, supporting the contoured face ofthe heel on a block having a surface, preferably substantially parallelto the sole, and presenting the assembly to a metallic machine forexample a slugging machine, and inserting fastenings through the soleinto the heel about the periphery of the sole substantially from theball line around the heel end to theball line.

Another feature of the invention consists of apparatus to facilitate theperformance of the above method comprising a block shaped in plansnbstantiallylil-te the shank-and-heel portom unit comprising a wedgeheel to the fiat tion of a shoe bottom, having a flat lower face and anupper face contoured to as to be substantially complemental to thecontoured or attaching face of the wedge heel, the block being providedwith means on its upper face to prevent '5 relative movement of the heeland block laterally or rearwardly.

In another aspect the invention comprises a method of attaching theprepared sole and heel unit to the shoe which consists in cement-atl0taching the forepart of the sole to the forepart of the shoe andattaching the wedge heel to the shoe by inside nailing.

Practice of the described method results in a novel wedge heel shoe inwhich the wedge heel 15 is attached to the shoe with driven fasteningssuch as heel nails driven through the shoe into the heel, and in whichthe outsole is attached to the wedge heel throughout its shank-and-heelportion by driven fastenings, for example pegs or slugs, and theforepart of the sole is cementattached to the forepart of the shoebottom.

In the drawings, f

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a full-length sole assembled with awedge heel upon a supporting block;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the supporting block;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of supporting block;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1 presented tothe operating instrumentalities of a slugging machine;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing theparts after the sluggingoperation has been performed; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a completed shoe.

In the manufacture of shoes according to the present invention, wedgeheels H), as shown in 40 Fig. 1, are provided, each heel having a flatface for engagement with a full-length outsole l2, the heel extendingfrom substantially the ball line of the outsole to its rear end andbeing shaped a in plan like this portion of the outsole. The attachingface of the wedge heel is preferably contoured longitudinally andtransversely to complement substantially the shape of the shankand-heelportion of the bottom of the shoe to 59 which it is to be attached. Thesurface of the heel which is exposed in the finished shoe, that is, thesides" of the heel, is usually covered with a strip of upper leather M(Fig. 6) the marginal portions of which are carried over the fiat botllheel, apparatus such as that shown in Figs. 2

and 3 is provided which consists of a block 20 which may be of castaluminum or some other light material, the block having a surface 22which is preferably contoured both longitudinally and transversely to becomplemental to the contoured attaching face l8 of the wedge heel ill.The face 24 of the block opposite the contoured face 22 is flat and theblock is formed with one end portion thicker than the other so that whenthe wedge heel l0 isplaced upon the block with its contoured attachingface against the surface 22, the flat face of the heel and the surface24 of the block will be substantially parallel, as shown in Fig. 1. Toprevent lateral or longitudinal movement of the heel ID with respect tothe block 20, the block may be provided with a rim 26 within which thewedge heel fits.

As an alternative, the block 20 may be provided with spurs 28 on itscontoured face, as shown in Fig. 3, instead of the peripheral rim and,if desired, at the heel end of the block a lip 30 may be provided whichwill positively prevent rearward movement of the heel with respect tothe block 20. The wedge heel l0 may be readily located with respect tothe .block 20, shown in Fig. 3, by engaging one end of the heel with thelip 30 andpressing it down upon the spurs 28.

The workman, after assembling the wedge heel i0 upon the block 20 of theform shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 3, applies the full-length sole l2 thereto,as shown in Fig. 1, and presents these assembled parts in his hands to.the operating instrumentalities of a fastening-inserting machine suchas the slugging machine, as shown in Fig. 4. It will here be seen thatthe face 24 of the block 20 is parallel to the outer surface of the solel2 and that the surface 24 may be supported on a jack post 32 of .thefastening-inserting machine which presses the sole against a presserplate or abutment 34 and drivesslugs or pegs 38, cut from a wire orfiber fastening material 38, into holes made by an awl 40. A machinewhich may be used for this purpose is disclosed in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 786,190, granted 7 March 28, 1905, upon application ofL. A. Casgrain. In Fig. the work is shown after the slugs or pegs 36have been inserted to form a single bottom unit comprising the sole I2and the wedge heel Ill. The forepart of the sole I 2 has its flesh faceprepared for cement attachment toa shoe by .the usual roughing andcementing operations. After activation of the cement upon the forepartof the sole, the sole-and-heel unit is properly located with respect toa shoe having an upper 42 lasted over an insole 44, and the shoe andsole are subjected to pressure whereby the forepart of the sole I2 ispermanently cement-attaiched to the shoe. After this operation the lastis removed and the shank-and-heel portions of the insole 44 of the shoeare attached to the wedge heel III .by fastenings 46 driven through theinsole into the wedge heel on the inside of the shoe. As illustrated inFig. 6, two gangs of nails 46 spaced longitudinally of the shoe havebeen inserted .through the insole r44 into the wedge heel II by means,for example, of a wood heel nailing machine such as that disclosed inLetters Patent of the United States No. 2,033,158, granted March 10,1936, upon application of John Standish.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters'Pa ent of the United States is:

1. A bottom unit for shoe comprising a fulllength sole and a wedge heelattached to the inner face of the sole by driven fastenings extending 5through the sole about the periphery thereof and into but not throughthe wedge heel, the forepart of said inner face being prepared forcement attachment to a shoe bottom.

2. .A bottom unit for shoes comprising a fulllength outsole and a wedgeheel attached to the flesh face of the sole by pegs extending throughthe sole and into but not through the wedge heel, the peripheral portionof the flesh face of the forepart of the sole being roughened andcemented to adapt it for cement attachment to the forepart of a shoe.

3. A bottom unit for shoes comprising a fulllength outsole and a wedgeheel attached to the inner face of the sole by pegs located in theperipheral marginal portion of the sole and extending through the soleand into the wedge heel, the peripheral portion of the inner face ofsaid sole being roughened and coated with cement to prepare it forcement attachment to the forepart of a shoe bottom.

4. That improvement in methods of forming bottom units which comprisesassembling a fulllength sole on the flat surface of a wedge heel,

supporting the assembled wedge heel and sole on a block having a surfaceparallel with the sole, engaging said surface with the horn of aslugging machine, and attaching a sole to the wedge heel by drivingfastenings through the sole into the wedge heel.

5. That improvement in methods of forming bottom units for shoes whichcomprises assembling a full-length sole on the flat surface of a wedgeheel, supporting the assembled wedge heel and sole on a block having asurface parallel with the sole, and attaching the sole to the wedgeheelby .driving pegs through the sole into the wedge heel. v

-6. That improvement-in methods of making shoes which comprises forminga shoe bottom unit, by attaching a wedge heel to the upper surface of afull-length sole, preparing a lasted shoe, cement-attaching the forepartof the sole unit to the forepart of the shoe, and securing the wedgeheel to the shank-and-heel portion of the shoe 50 by inside nailing.

'1. A device for attaching wedge heels to soles comprising a blockhaving the contour of the shank-and-heel portion of a shoe sole, a flatsurface on one side and on the opposite side a sur- 515 face contouredto fit the attaching face of a wedge heel, and means on the block tolocate the wedge heel with respect thereto.

8. A device for attaching wedge heels to soles comprising a blockofpastaluminum having the contour of the shank-.and-heel portion of a shoesole, a flat surface on one side and on the opposite side a surfacecontoured to fit the attaching face of a wedge heel, means beingprovided on the block to locate the wedge heel with respect 05 thereto.

9. A device for attaching wedge heels t0 soles comprising'a block havingthe contour of the shank-and-heel portion of a shoe sole, 9. fiatsurface on one side and on the opposite side a surface complemental tothe attaching face of a wedge heel, and a lug on the block to preventrearward movement of the wedge heel with respect to the block.

10. A device for attaching wedge heels to soles comprising a. block, aflat surface on one side of the block, the opposite surface being snapedcomplemental to the attaching face of a wedge heel, and a rim about thecontoured face of the block to prevent relative lateral and longitudinalrearward movement of the block and heel.

11. A device for attaching wood heels to soles comprising a block havingon one side a surface complemental to the attaching face of a wedge heeland on the other side ,a flat surface parallel to the tread face of awedge heel mounted on the block, a lug on the block to prevent rearwardmovement of the wedge heel with respect to the block, and spurs on theblock to engage the heel and prevent movement thereof with respect tothe block,

12. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprisesproviding a bottom unit comprising a full-length sole having a wedgeheel attached to its inner face. preparing a shoe having an upper lastedover an insole, cement attaching the forepart of the bottom unit to theforepart of the shoe, and utilizing a. wood heel attacl.ing machine tosecure the wedge heel to the shank-and-heel portion of the insole and tothe shoe.

13. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprisesproviding a bottom unit comprising a full-length sole having a wedgeheel attached to its inner face, preparing a shoe having an upper lastedover an insole, cementattaching the forepart of the bottom unit to theforepart of the shoe, and securing a wedge heel to the shank-and-heelportion of the insole by driving nails from the inside of the shoethrough the insole into the wedge heel.

14. A shoe comprising an insole, a full-length outsole, a wedge heelattached to the inner face of the outsole, and an upper lasted over theinsole, said outsole being cement-attached to the forepart of the shoeand said wedge heel being attached to the shank-and-heel portion of theinsole by fastenings driven from the inside of the-20 shoe through theinsole into the wedge .heel.

l-ELIX ROSENBAUM.

